Most of my readers know I’m pretty into couponing, sale shopping and general deal wrangling. I haven’t paid more than a few pennies for household and personal care products for about the past 4 years. So, my attempts to “go green” have been tough on the old pocketbook. I know lots of people use nothing but baking soda and vinegar for anything and everything, and maybe someday I will be there too…I’m not there yet! I’ve been trying to make slightly better choices in products as I can, in the hopes that I can make it to that point in baby steps!! I had a few coupons for $1 off any 7th Generation product earlier this year, so I figured I might as well give them a try.

I usually use either Lysol or Clorox Wipes, and Cascade or Electrasol/Finish powder…whatever is free or nearly free. I know some people feel strongly about not using any “disinfecting” products, but I like to have the wipes on hand for the toilet seats, wiping the little potty and cleaning up really yucky stuff.

The 7th Generation disinfecting wipes were $3.37 for a 35 count canister at my grocery store. That isn’t too much higher than the Lysol or Clorox wipes brand, which seem to sell in the $2.19-$2.99 range where I shop, depending on where I’m shopping and what brand I’m buying. Of course, I don’t buy them unless I’m combining store & manufacturer coupons, sales and/or buy this many items get 20 cents off gas etc. deals!

Lysol Wipes ingredients: I haven’t been able to find more than what’s on the package. Akykl Dimethl Benzyl Ammonium Chlorides….0.26%, “other ingredients”…99.74%. Well that’s helpful…not.

All claim to kill 99.99% of household germs, including cold & flu viruses. I’m no scientist, so I will take their word for it. As far as I know, the 7th generation wipes are available only in Lemongrass & Thyme scent. It smells fine, a little odd for a cleaning product (I like to eat lemongrass, LOL.) However…I used these wipes when we passed around a stomach bug (twice) in February, so the scent now makes me kind of gaggy since I associate it with that!

The Seventh Generation Automatic Dishwasher Powder was $4.17 for 45 ounces. Compare that to the $3.75 regular price for 75 ounces of Finish, and it seems awfully high! However, I’ve only bought dishwasher detergent twice this year. The 7th Generation in January, and Finish in May (which is maybe half empty.) I wash dishes every day, but we have pretty soft water, so I only fill about half of the dispenser! So really, even if the price is double (which it nearly is) it really wouldn’t make much difference in my budget…except that I can’t get the deals on 7th Generation like I can with the other stuff. Maybe if CVS starts selling it!

Finish ingredients: Beats me. I had a heck of a time finding the Cascade ingredients. They don’t exactly make it easy to find. I imagine Finish is fairly similar. I could probably find the ingredients if I spent even more time, but they are clearly going to be way ickier (technical term) than the 7th generation.

I didn’t notice any difference in my dishes. They were as clean as they always are. No matter how little detergent I use, or what additives I use, I still have to hand wash our glasses every few months because they get a cloudy buildup on them.

I haven’t tried any other brands, but I know my organic store has at least 2 or 3 other dishwasher detergent brands, and I’m definitely going to try a few more.

Do you have a favorite brand of “natural” cleaners? Are you the make-it-yourself/use baking soda type? Or are you still taking baby steps like me?

FTC compliance: I purchased the above products myself at normal prices. I was not compensated for this post and all opinions are my own.

Maria is the mother of 3, writing about cloth diapers & going green. You'll often find her with a dog or child on her lap, typing 1-handed in between sips of cold coffee.
Maria works with many companies within the cloth diaper industry and beyond, providing social media management, product development, and other services.

My favorite eco-friendly dishwasher detergent is called Grabgreen and you can find it on Amazon. The price is slightly less than full-price 7th Generation or Finish, but you can’t get discounts except for Subscribe & Save.

I’ve never tried either of those. I’m trying to use more green products, but, you’re right, they’re much more expensive. I’ve used seventh generation glass cleaner and LOVED it. It was less streaky than other cleaners and didn’t smell like ammonia. When your glasses start to get the cloudy buildup try pouring a cup of white vinegar in the bottom of the dishwasher and running a high temp cycle. This will clean your dishwasher and remove any hard water build up (if you have hard water, not sure if you do :).

Maria wants to live in a world where cloth diapers are the norm and moms can make parenting choices without judgement. When she’s not chasing her 13, 9 and 6-year old kids around, you might find her checking out the latest gadgets, organizing something (again) or exercising in the fresh air. Read More »